JOIN THE GUILD
PART ONE: IMAGE JURY
Part One: Image Jury
To advance to Part Two (Object Jury), applicants must complete Part One by describing their work, process, and submitting high-quality images. Applications can be submitted online or by mail (PDF link above).
Image Jury Deadlines
Image Jury #1
- Due: March 17, 2025
- Notification: March 28, 2025
Image Jury #2
- Due: May 19, 2025
- Notification: May 30, 2025
Image Jury #3
- Due: November 7, 2025
- Notification: November 21, 2025
PART TWO: OBJECT JURY
Part Two: Object Jury
Applicants who pass Part One must choose between two options:
- Submit 5 objects for jurying at the Folk Art Center
- Have a provisional booth at the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands (held in July or October)
Object Jury at the Folk Art Center
Object Jury #1
- Objects due: January 20-21, 2025
- Jury date: January 24, 2025
- Notification: February 7, 2025
Object Jury #2
- Objects due: August 18-19, 2025
- Jury date: August 22, 2025
- Notification: September 5, 2025
The Standards Jury Process
To become a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, applicants must complete an application, pass the image jury, and submit physical objects for the object jury. Membership is open to craftspeople living in the specified counties of the Southern Appalachian mountains.
BENEFITS OF GUILD MEMBERSHIP
With a network of juried members across nine states, the Southern Highland Craft Guild supports makers in growing their craft careers through education, retail opportunities, and mentorship. We’re dedicated to helping members refine and market their work, providing the resources they need to succeed.
HERITAGE MEMBERSHIP
The Southern Highland Craft Guild offers a Heritage Craft Membership for artisans whose work honors the craft traditions of the Southern Appalachians, as practiced before the Guild's founding in 1930. Submitted objects must be reproductions or adaptations of traditional designs, with documentation on their origins and fabrication methods.
Heritage Craft members help educate the public at Guild events, sharing the history and evolution of their craft, and the changes in techniques and materials over time. To apply, select "Heritage Craft" as your craft classification in Part One-A: Written of your application to receive the Supplemental Heritage Application.
Application Workshops
Guild members offer workshops to guide you through the application process. In-person workshops are held three times a year at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, and a Zoom workshop will happen once a year. After the workshop, you can request assistance with your application or find a mentor in your craft.
Note: These workshops are optional and not required to apply to the Guild.
COUNTIES WE REPRESENT
ALABAMA: Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Walker, Winston
GEORGIA: Banks, Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Murray, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Whitfield, White
KENTUCKY: Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Clinton, Elliott, Estill, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, McCreary, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe
MARYLAND: Alleghany, Frederick, Garrett, Washington
NORTH CAROLINA: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Surry, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey
SOUTH CAROLINA: Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg
TENNESSEE: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Decatur, Dekalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnum, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson
VIRGINIA: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bath, Bland, Bedford, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Clarke, Craig, Dickenson, Fauquier, Floyd, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Grayson, Greene, Highland, Lee, Loudoun, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Page, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke, Rappahannock, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, Wythe
WEST VIRGINIA: The Entire State